News Headlines–4/5/2013

There’s been an arrest in the shooting of a Navasota businessman in San Antonio. 24-year-old Kacey Rhodes of Elmendorf is out of jail after posting bond after being charged with aggravated assault with a weapon. The victim, Mike Vivaldi of Team Auto, was shot in the chest early Monday morning. He remains in a San Antonio hospital.

While there’s more money to go around, the Texas legislature can’t fulfill all requests. State Representative John Raney of Bryan says Texas A&M is poised to get more money. More money is also headed to public education. Raney says state employees are expected to get a two-percent pay increase and more money is headed to the Parks and Wildlife Department. The full House began budget deliberations by taking up 267 amendments.

And, In sunny, west Texas just outside the little town of Presidio, solar energy is being captured for the use of Bryan Texas Utilities. General Manager Gary Miller says the 10 megawatt solar facility is about 200 acres in size, and there’s no cost to get the energy here. Miller says several partners own the facility and Bryan owns the output, which will cost BTU customers about one tenth of a cent extra per kilowatt hour, or about a dollar a month. He says it allows Bryan to be ahead of the curve in case future laws call for renewable energy. He says BTU has been working on this project since 2009, and it was approved in 2010 by city council.